Brief but Fragrant Moments
by vieiraa3
Summary: A series of drabbles based on a writing prompts telling the imagined in-between and future stories of Klaus and Minori/Annie within Story of Seasons for the Nintendo 3DS. Rated T as Klaus tends to be suggestive, so I'll have to go with that!
1. Introduction

1\. Introduction

If pressed, Klaus wouldn't be able to say when exactly he first became interested in Oak Tree's newest farmer. Was it after her first festival win in autumn, when her face had lit up in surprise and elation, seemingly making the clouds break and the sun come out with the power of her expression alone? Or was it later, when she had begun making a point to seek him out whenever she was in town just to say "hello"?

Maybe it was even earlier – the Flower Fair?

Perhaps even when they first met?

"Hmm? Well, you're a new face..."

She had simply looked up at him, eyes wide and bright, lips slightly parted as she prepared to introduce herself.

"Annie."

The breeze blew a brisk spring air past them, casting nature's beautiful debris in a whirlwind around her dull blue skirts.

"I'm Klaus. I work as a perfumer. It's very nice to meet you."

Perhaps, then, Klaus would say that he first became interested in her right at their very first introduction.


	2. Complicated

2\. Complicated

The vials lining the walls, the various dried and fresh samples of plants, fruits, nuts and even vegetables, the small flames, the bubbling liquids... all of it looked so beyond Annie that she couldn't help but marvel at the man before her.

He seemed to hum gently as he worked, but it may have just been the gentle simmer of the large beaker on his right. The sunlight caught on his tousled hair as he bent over the work before him, oblivious to the farmer who had just crept inside his front door, drawn by the sounds of someone inside despite the lack of response to her hesitant knock.

"Klaus," she said, so quiet that it sounded unnervingly breathless.

"Ahh," he muttered, apparently to acknowledge the presence of someone in his home. He turned away from the desk after a pause, his face brightening for a moment. "Annie. Hello."

She asked him about his preoccupation, having only now witnessed the perfumer at work for the first time.

"Hm? What am I doing? I'm mixing a fragrance," was all that he said with such a slight and casual shrug of his shoulders that Annie had to balk.

All of this... this complicated network of tasks and substances and steps... for a fragrance?

"Is this for... an order?" Annie said curiously. To be quite honest, she was not sure how any of this worked. She had never really considered where the perfumes and tonics that dotted fancy shops came from, but she certainly had not pictured it being here – in front of her, in a dim and beautiful house within a small and bountiful town.

"No, this one is not for my work. It's also a hobby of mine."

"Should I come back another time?" Annie began, taking a step back to leave.

He seemed so absorbed, so at peace as his hands worked with the glass containers and tinted fluids that she hated to suddenly impose.

"Oh, don't worry. You aren't disturbing me in the least," Klaus assured her with a gentle smile. "Ah, I know! Since you were kind enough to pay me a visit today... What if I mix a special fragrance just for you, the busy farmer who spends all day every day bustling about the farm?"

He laughed softly at her surprised blush and hesitant nod. When would she ever again have a fragrance specially crafted for her right from the source?

The gentleman begged her to take a seat just off to the side as he finished up.

"It will just be a moment or two longer," he said with that slight drawl of his that was neither entirely country – like the slight accent of most of the Oak Tree Town residents - but also not quite city - like the undertones in Marian, Fritz, or Giorgio's tones.

Annie watched enraptured as Klaus worked. None of it made sense to her, but it was beautiful in its complication nonetheless.


	3. Making History

3\. Making History

It was a simple fact that the young girl – no, the young woman – who had first come to Oak Tree Town just over two years ago was making history for the once dried-up town. Her arrival brought with it a storm of changes that no one had predicted or even dreamt to be possible.

The number of vendors increased from the one depressingly committed wagon from Silk Country to a fully fleshed out seven vendors that hardly could schedule in enough time to get their share of the now immensely popular Trade Depot.

Once, on a particularly slow and dry summer day, Klaus had approached the woman who manned the red and gold Silk Country booth - Asche being the name he had never cared to ask for before that exchange – to ask why Silk Country insisted on continuing business with Oak Tree Town. In her intriguing accent she said it was quite simply because of their longstanding history which, she had dutifully reported to him, meant more to their culture than how little business their stall had received at the town's Trade Depot for the better part of the decade.

Four years later, right at the beginning of the summer season and just a short while after the farmer's arrival, the second vendor arrived. Then the third, fourth, and fifth.

Klaus watched her work diligently. He watched her field conquests expanding, her products ever increasing in quality, her energy seemingly boundless as she hauled all sorts of goods to and from the Trade Depot.

It started with the usual things that one would see the farmers bringing through town – vegetables, fruit, and buckets of freshly cut flowers. Soon, the young woman was carting rolls of fabric – woven herself in her own studio from her own sheep's wool – and commissioning wagons to bring the furniture, floor planks, and decorations that she crafted down the mountain and into the heart of town.

Annie went above and beyond anything any other farmer in Oak Tree Town had ever done before, expanding her skills and expertise in order to expand the business of the Trade Depot.

More than any of that, however, the young farmer began to make history for Klaus himself with but a few simple words.

"I just wanted to see you."

He already had a long and arduous history with women and with life at large. Nearly a decade more experience than the young woman standing in his living quarters. And yet never before had his heart skipped a beat in such a way.

Never had he felt a need to exert such self-control. Never had he flushed such a deeply brilliant red. Never before had he agonized so long over courting a woman.

Never before had he accepted a presented traditional ring of courting.

Yes, Annie of Oak Tree Town was making history, indeed.


	4. Rivalry

4\. Rivalry

It had taken Annie a great deal longer than she would like to admit before she realized that the beautiful blonde woman posed no threat to her.

In her mind, the rivalry had been very real for the better part of her second year in Oak Tree Town.

When had it started? Well, that would be whenever her heart first started to skip a beat in the presence of the town's resident gentleman. So in that case, perhaps it was the better part of her full first two years in the small town.

The older woman was quicker to the punch than she was, to be frank. Perhaps it was in spring of her second year, when she had decided to act on her feelings and begin seeking out more of Klaus's time and attention.

In a naive way, Annie had hoped that no one would think anything of it. She had given gifts to other villagers, even other bachelors within the town. Nothing got past Iris, though.

So one autumn morning, upon visiting Klaus's home to drop off some freshly harvested tea leaves, she stumbled upon the two of them having coffee on his couches.

"Good morning, Annie!" Iris had chirped cheerfully. "I was just about to update Klaus on my newest project, care to join?"

Her happiness and ease as she reclined against the dark couches made Annie's stomach clench uncomfortably, so her silence was apparently taken as acceptance.

"Excellent! Oh, and you brought tea – you always preferred tea didn't you, Klaus? Let's brew some for us to enjoy."

Numbly, Annie handed the tea leaves to Klaus who smiled at her politely with a look that she felt was perhaps apologetic. Did he feel guilty because her advances were noticed but uncared for?

As the perfumer set to work boiling water for the tea, Iris pulled the young farmer to the side.

"Klaus and I like to get together and talk about each other's work," she said and for a moment Annie thought she was going to faint from the tension in her neck. Was the blonde gloating now? Annie was not prepared to handle a full assault from her rival. Not with that relaxed smile on her face, so full of easy confidence and calm. Not with those beautifully pressed clothes draping over perfectly shaped curves.

"We're close in age, so it's fun talking to him..." Iris continued, the mirth evident in her eyes as she watched Annie squirm. "...but just FYI, we're not together or anything."

Annie was almost entirely certain that the great bubbling laugh that erupted from the blonde was purely due to the shocked relief that the farmer felt melt right through her – from head to toe.

Needless to say, their so-called rivalry quickly dissolved into a wonderful friendship. In fact, that morning was probably the best tea Annie had ever tasted and the best company Annie had enjoyed in a long time.


	5. Unbreakable

5\. Unbreakable

After everything he had witnessed her suffer, endure, and achieve Klaus had begun to think of his wife as unbreakable. Nothing shook her resolve nor her courage. Not a single festival loss – although he could not remember the last time there even was one – nor a failed field conquest – again, the memory of the last one was a bit fuzzy.

It was not until the sad, stormy day, that she had come into the house first thing in the morning. Her eyes were teary and she looked so exhausted that Klaus had to check the time to be really certain it was only 9:00 in the morning and not 21:00 at night.

"What is it, Annie?" Klaus had asked, kneeling at her side as she all but collapsed into a dining chair.

"It's Hanako..." she whispered. "She's sick. Very sick."

She dissolved into soft sobs after that.

Over the next several days, Klaus did his best to care for the fields as his wife cared for the old cow that had so long been a part of the farmer's life here in Oak Tree Town.

Three days after that first, heartbreaking morning, they laid the gentle beast for her final and enduring rest.


	6. Obsession

6\. Obsession

"I have a line I want you to read for me. It's from a book I own – although I most certainly did not write it," Iris said with a chuckle.

The joke was lost on Klaus, as was her sudden need to barge into his home on this particular morning just to announce this.

"It's not your work?" He asked, confused in his morning haze. He was still nursing his second coffee of the day and was planning on a third given how long he had been up working at his desk the night before.

"Just read it. It's bookmarked and I will leave it right here on the table," the blonde called out as she just as quickly flounced out of the room. "Make sure you read it, Klaus!"

She was out the door so fast that the perfumer had to wonder if he had not just imagined the entire thing.

Up until the interruption, he had been unsuccessfully attempting to work at his desk. It seemed that working was impossible now unless it was the latest hours of the night, because then and only then he did not have a persisting urge to seek out the young farmer or wish for her to gently knock on his door and present him with another gift of tea leaves or wine.

With a sigh, Klaus dragged a hand over his face as he gazed at his notes. Among the sketches of plants and scribbled formulas, there was a single crude drawing of a ring. Almost every page in his notebooks had one in some corner or margin.

It was a simple ring – a traditional ring. Silver band with a fluorite stone embedded within it. It was a ring of courtship in Oak Tree Town. His mother had given his father one when they were young, and each of his grandparents had shared a similar ritual.

Almost five seasons had passed and he still did not have the courage to approach the young woman. It was not like he did not have the ring. It had taken him a damn long time to find one in the city, as the town tradition was to craft one yourself but Klaus admittedly had no skill in that regard. Most of what he could find was gold or ringed with diamonds, but he stubbornly wished to stay firm with the town's traditions. She would like that, he thought.

Yet still the ring remained in his pocket, searing against his chest as a reminder that he had yet to present it to its intended recipient.

He liked to claim the age gap was reason enough to stay away, but he knew that the scant six to eight years hardly meant a thing at their age. They were both adults, and it was clear that she was at least interested in him. And yet... he hesitated.

It was not until a little later, when his current cup of coffee had gone cold and he decided a mountain stroll would be in order – perhaps being able to bump into the woman relentlessly occupying his thoughts - that he glanced upon the book on his table that Iris had left him earlier that morning.

The cover was worn and faded, but the title struck Klaus enough for him to halt his progression to the door and pick up the book.

Dictionary.

Why on earth would she want him to read a line from a dictionary?

The bookmark was a sprig of dried tea leaves, which only served to make him think of the young farmer and her gifts, and he curiously sought out the page.

A note within the open pages directed him to which entry he was to read and he grimaced as the words passed beneath his eyes.

 _noun: obsession_

 _\- an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind._

The note held direction to another page and another entry, much closer to the beginning of the book. Following along with the writer's game, Klaus flipped to the indicated page.

 _noun: boldness_

 _\- willingness to take risks and act innovatively; confidence or courage._

"Point taken, Iris," Klaus mumbled, painfully aware of the flush spreading across his face.

With a glance at the small calendar book he kept in his pocket, Klaus pressed the ring in his pocket firmly against his chest.

What better day than a sunny Saturday to embrace newfound boldness?

Just as his resolve hardened, a gentle knock sounded at his door.

"Klaus?"

"Hello, Annie," Klaus said, collecting his expression as best as he could despite how much her sudden appearance unnerved him. "Did you come to see me?"

At the young farmer's bright nod, the perfumer swallowed down his nervousness.

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that. In fact, I was just thinking of going to see you myself. You see, there is something I'd like to talk to you about. Here is not the best of places, though. May we go elsewhere?"

As they ascended the steps towards the main portion of town, Klaus tried to ignore the happily gloating blonde spying on them from the house across the way.


	7. Eternity

7\. Eternity

Call him a cynic, but when he was younger Klaus had laughed at the concept of eternity. Life was fleeting and forever was not an idea that should even be in existence with that knowledge in hand. He knew, even then, that life would only seem to go by more quickly as one got older.

Friendships died as people grew up both in age and in personality.

Lovers were temporary – and admittedly many during his early twenties – as nothing more than an entertainment of the mind and body.

Yet, for the first time in his thirty-odd years, the concept of eternity never seemed sweeter. He had never wanted so badly for forever to exist.

"Klaus."

The perfumer's eyes snapped onto the town's Guildmaster before sliding back to the woman beaming at his side.

"Do you vow to take Annie as your one and only wife, to have and to hold..."

He felt the flush spread across his nose and cheeks but could not care less as Annie gazed up at him so happily, so trustingly.

Never had Klaus wanted to hear of eternity more than in that moment.

"... in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, forever side-by-side as your walk down the path of life?"

Forever. With Annie.

"I do."


	8. Gateway

8\. Gateway

Klaus paced frantically in the Clinic's office area. He had previously been wearing a hole in the floor in the entryway of the Guild, but was shooed away into the back room when the Guildmaster had had enough. While the she did her best to appear composed, even Veronica was wringing her hands anxiously as she kept her post at the front desk and clearly she did not need the additional anxious energy that Klaus was practically spewing out with every nervous stride.

Another cry of pain echoed from behind the curtained partition and Klaus could faintly hear Marian's surprisingly soothing voice as he gave instructions to both Angela and his wife.

The baby was coming.

That had been the story for the past several hours and, from what Klaus had heard from various women's accounts, would continue to be the story for several more hours.

They had waited many years before deciding to attempt to conceive. Annie had first successfully taken over all ten of the public fields available to the farmers of Oak Tree Town, much to Fritz's dismay but Giorgio's amusement. Her farm brand – he still felt odd calling it 'theirs' although Annie had insisted many times that she considered the farm just as much his as it was hers – had become world renowned and the requests for additional vendors held a waiting list far past the seven vendors they currently had contracted with the Trade Depot.

With all of their success, six years after their wedding, they had approached Gunther to build a new, larger home as they planned their future with a larger family. Shortly after, Marian broke the happy news of Annie's pregnancy.

And Klaus was ecstatic. Really, he was. Terrified and apprehensive, of course, but also incredibly happy.

It had been so long since Klaus had a family that he was afraid he would forget how it worked. He was so nervous and Annie's cries of agony did nothing to soothe his fears.

She was his rock and yet also his stormy sea. Every experience with her was like a gateway to an ever-better world, an ever-better life, an ever-better Klaus.

Another cry of agony rang out – this one sharper than before – and Klaus quickly strode up to the partition.

"Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry, but give us a little longer. The birthing process is underway," came Angela's curt response.

Returning to his pacing, Klaus steeled himself. What was this but another gateway? A gateway into fatherhood and even greater joy to be shared with Annie. Should he fail in any way, he was certain that Annie would more than make up the difference.

A new cry erupted from the curtains. Then another. They rose in a symphony that blocked out Marian and Angela's excited words.

"Now then. Angela, honey, would you go call Klaus over?" were the first words that processed in his suddenly blank mind.

This was it. This was their next ever-better journey.


	9. Death

9\. Death

Exaggeration appeared to be the only form of communication with the majority of the current youth.

The biggest pet peeve he had with such exaggerations was one word. ' _Literally_ ' was a word that he doubted most of them _literally_ understood, and yet it was used for almost every statement. It irritated him to no end how so much of the younger generations had completely lost all sense of mannerisms and language.

However.

"Do you...like me? Not that I doubt you do, of course. It's just nice to hear sometimes."

He had no idea what had spurred him to say something so ridiculous, but he did it regardless. In that moment, with his cheeks flushed and his face hot, Klaus could not think of anything other than some of those ridiculously exaggerated phrases.

 _This is NOT happening_ , although clearly it really was happening.

"...And now that I've asked that, my cheeks are turning red."

 _I literally cannot handle this_ , which actually may have been a true sentiment given how murky his brain seemed to be becoming.

Her response only served to make his face delve into a deeper crimson as he covered his ridiculous grin with one hand.

 _I am going to die from happiness_ , was what he really hoped was truly an exaggeration because he would have liked the ridiculously overwhelming feeling to persist, despite how much it made him want to squirm and disappear into the ground to a swift death of lovesick bliss.

"You know I like you too. You're my favorite person in the world."


	10. Opportunities

10\. Opportunities

There were countless opportunities for Annie to say something, to do something.

She had a ring crafted ever since she had constructed her Sewing Studio, so that was never the problem. In fact, the ring and whom she had intended to give it to had been in her mind ever since Veronica first explained about the town's unique courtship tradition.

It was his own hesitancy that made her hesitate herself.

"Whyever would you be happy just to see an old fool like me?"

He liked to remind her, however gently, that there was an age gap between them. He never said anything outright, but it made her wonder if he considered their informal relationship to be inappropriate - if that would cause him to reject her confession.

"Annie, your clothes are wrinkled. I'm sure your farm work is hard on your wardrobe, but good grooming is still important."

She wondered if he compared her to Iris, the tall, beautiful and always well-kept woman who was more appropriately close to his age. Was he hoping to shape her more to that image? Was he trying to discourage her advances with his chastising?

"You're very mature for your age, you know. And you're a good listener. In fact, once I start talking to you, it's hard for me to stop."

But then he can also be so sweet, letting down his guard and gazing at her with such thinly veiled intrigue that her head spins. There are moments when, just for a second or two, his reservations seem to leave.

"You're attentive and patient, just what any good listener should be... And you remind me that people can always respect one another, regardless of age difference."

Yet still, the opportunities continue to pass Annie by.


	11. 33 Percent

11\. 33%

Klaus was quite certain that a confession of love could only have three potential outcomes.

The first being that Annie would say yes, ignoring the age difference that had worried him for so long and held back the long overdue declaration.

The second being that Annie would say no and he would forever be mortified that he had violated a young woman's ideals and would be viewed as an old pervert by the majority of the villagers.

The third and final outcome being that he would simply grow ever older and die of some sort of heart failure from worrying over his own feelings far too much.

That meant that there was a 33% chance that loving Annie could kill him. Well, 66% if he counted the fact that he would probably die of embarrassment if she rejected him.

Or would it be 100% if he died of some sort of adrenaline and euphoria overdose if she said yes?

Picking up a now all-too-familiar vial, Klaus sighed in exasperation as he dabbed a drop of its liquid behind each ear. It seemed that with Annie continuously occupying his mind, he couldn't find a formula with enough chamomile to soothe his nerves.


	12. Dead Wrong

12\. Dead Wrong

Marian struggled to hold back what he really, truly, desperately wanted to say to the young farmer as they chatted just steps from the perfumer's front door.

She liked him, he liked her. It was so clear to everyone – probably even them – and yet they just couldn't muster up the courage to hurry up and get on with it.

Age? Ha.

Klaus's skin was quite excellent for his age – partly thanks to Marian's yearly birthday gift of his very favourite skin cream, which he bestowed upon all of those he loved dearly – and the way he described his feelings for the young farmer very clearly said he was anything but physically old, too.

And what about her? She was young, sure, but also mature and responsible and so brilliantly beautiful and smart.

"Your hair is especially brilliant today, Marian," Annie said sweetly. God he loved this girl. She was so good for the town, so good for Klaus, and so good for Marian's own ego.

"Well, as you may know, though I'm a doctor who works to cure illnesses, I'm also investigating beautiful minds and bodies," Marian said with a wink.

In that moment, the sound of a door opening appeared to pique the farmer's interest. Klaus, bless his soul, emerged from the dark brick house and the sight of both of their faces lighting up as they made eye contact was just so precious.

"I have to say... True beauty comes from inside of us. Beautiful minds make healthy bodies," Marian started, seizing the opportunity to nudge the should-be couple. At Annie's curious gaze, he continued with vigor. "In other words, love."

Annie blushed prettily for a moment, casting a glance at the approaching perfumer and coughing lightly.

"Pure love without any limits is the source of all beauty. ...I wonder if you understand~."

Annie flushed even deeper, nervously giving Marian a look that clearly stated that she knew where he was going with this and – my goodness she was such a precious little flower – clearly could also not handle the implication at the moment.

With a murmur, the young farmer excused herself, tucking the steaming bowl of Bouillabaisse closer to her side as she hurriedly trotted off to meet the perfumer before Marian could put in another word.

"Oh?," Marian called after her. "You're a little tired, hm?"

 _Maybe some love could help with that_ , was the teasing finale that he decided to hold off on, just for today.

With brilliant smiles and blushing faces like that, oh honey, if those two thought age could keep them apart they were dead wrong.


	13. Running Away

13\. Running Away

The way she beamed at him so brightly made his heart seize for a moment.

 _I just wanted to see you_.

When Klaus had turned from his desk to address her visit, he had interpreted her admiring gaze as only that – admiration for his work. He even, for a moment, fancied himself acting as an older brother of sorts to her in the future in order to enjoy more gazes such as that.

Now, with those words uttered, he could hardly ignore the swarm of butterflies that seemed to spontaneously appear within his abdomen.

"That sort of thing is something you should only tell the one you truly love," he said with a slight cough.

He was no longer an inexperienced young man, so he shouldn't have misinterpreted her comment in any shape or form. Yet his mind immediately filled with images much less brotherly than he thought was appropriate given their age gap.

"Why would I only tell that to someone I truly love?" Annie asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.

Her face – slightly confused but so open and innocent – with her head cocked to the side like that reminded him of the rabbits he sometimes spied on his walks on the mountain trail. There was something overwhelmingly adorable in the way they so curiously hopped towards you, nose twitching feverishly, but the moment you focused your attention on them they balked and cutely hopped away at the speed of light.

The likeness was too much for him, and against his better judgement Klaus let the wolfish side of him fly free for the first time in a long time.

"Hm? Why? Here, allow me to give you an example..."

He paused for a moment, giving himself a chance to back out, but her curious expression was too tempting.

"Phrases like those can give some men...ideas."

Her lack of reaction only spurred him on further, stoking the flames and the overwhelming desire to teach her a thing or two that he himself learned at about her age.

"If you blithely say such things to every man you meet...," Klaus stepped closer, cornering the young farmer in between his own body and the table with just enough room to escape. Yet unlike the rabbits in the mountain, she did not flee. It spurred him on and he leaned in closer with every word, revelling in the way she flushed so prettily and became so obviously flustered. "Then someday you may be caught by a big, bad wolf..."

Even in this moment, far too heated of an exchange to be having with a young woman he hardly even knew, Klaus found himself struggling deeply to not close those last few inches of distance.

"...and gobbled up."

He could feel her shaky breath against his face as he all but whispered those last few words, he was that close to her. With him stooped over her as she leaned back against the table in the middle of the room, her face radiating heat with its ever-reddening hue and her chest rising so high with her nervous breath... his resolve was crumbling. She could have moved to the side or otherwise avoided her entrapment if she wanted to – or perhaps if she was a touch less innocent, Klaus reminded himself bitterly. The thought snapped him back to a more gentlemanly mindset. To take advantage of a young girl who may not know better – no, he could not become one of those terrible old men.

Stepping back sharply, Klaus straightened his jacket lapels, just to give himself something to do with his hands that did not involve the slightly quivering rabbit almost splayed across his kitchen table - so much like a meal displaying itself and awaiting a hungry big bad wolf to gobble it up. How ironic.

"So have a care who you say that to," he finished lamely, laughing to cover up his completely unnerved state and clear the air for a lighter atmosphere. "You really don't understand what I meant, do you? Sorry, sorry. If you don't, that's perfectly all right. I couldn't help myself, so I had a little fun with the warning, is all."

She took the rest of his warning to heart, it seemed, as she quickly bounded from the house just like a nervous little rabbit running away from a drooling predator.

As discouraging as that should have been, Klaus felt the interest in him only pique more.

He may have just discovered a dangerous new hobby – chasing adorable, blushing rabbits with a wolfish hunger he didn't think he still had in him.


	14. Judgement

14\. Judgment

One of Klaus's concerns about pursuing a relationship with the young farmer had been the thought that she may receive judgement for choosing to court an older man.

It was not that the villagers were cruel or gossipy people. There would be no burning of witches or stoning of adulterers in a town like Oak Tree.

Still, it gave him pause. When Corona had effectively run away from home to marry Gunther – a wonderful man but also still her senior – there had been some apprehensive looks about the situation.

Gunther, being the incredibly upstanding and hardworking albeit simple man, paid no mind and because of that his enamoured wife paid no mind. The looks dissipated quickly enough. The carpenter had a good reputation and no one would think for a moment that he had done something dastardly to steal away Corona from her family.

Money was a contemplation he had once heard Iris whisper to Mistel – he would have to retract his earlier thought on none of the villagers being gossipy. To be completely honest he had not met anyone more secretly gossipy than Iris. Or perhaps Marian took that title. Yes, he would have to retract his thought altogether – but Gunther was not particularly rich and the couple's lives were not one of splendor so that, too, dissipated quickly.

In truth, no one really cared all that much. The couple was happy and so the town was happy for them. The wedding was quaint and lovely, with everyone being invited because, really, everyone had worked with Gunther at some point or another. Furniture, renovations, or repairs – Gunther was the man to go to.

Even knowing this, Klaus still hesitated so long to officially proclaim his affection for the younger farmer. How foolish.

"No one's surprised to see us together, you know. I thought I was being subtle with all my advances, but maybe not..." he confided the evening after their horseback riding date.

They had ridden mainly on the mountain trails, but made a trip into the town for a lunch together. No one batted an eye. It was as though their very newly formed relationship was already old news to the villagers.

"Surprisingly, it seems we're the only two people concerned about our age difference."

Annie had laughed at him, surprising him with another 100-watt smile.

"I do not notice any difference at all."

As the perfumer flushed deeply, he swore to himself that when it came to proposing he would make sure to do it much more swiftly than he had done his confession.


	15. Seeking Solace

15\. Seeking Solace

Klaus had immediately begun to prepare himself for Annie seeking solace after her startling loss in that year's Flipsy-Flopsy Festival. Her initial entry had suddenly fallen ill before the festival and a younger substitute was presented rather than dropping out of the competition altogether.

Even so, he had expected her to win. Her animals flourished under her care and her products were always top quality.

Second place wasn't the most devastating loss in the world, but nonetheless he felt his heart sink as the results were announced and Annie's face fell ever so slightly.

He was wrong, however. When the farmed descended the stage with her blissfully unaware second-place rabbit, she beamed up at Klaus.

"He did better than I had expected," she said warmly, stroking a ridiculously fluffy ear affectionately. "I think I will enter him again next year. We'll do even better."

His heart swelled with her words, reminding him again as to why he had fallen so hard for her. She always tried her best at everything and remained so kind regardless of the circumstances.

Perhaps not today, but one day – Klaus swore to himself as he hesitantly patted the fluffy creature at Annie's prodding – he would be there to provide solace should she ever need a break from being the amazingly upbeat woman she was.


	16. Excuses

16\. Excuses

"I have nearly a decade on her."

Marian sighed dramatically, inspecting a nail with feigned disinterest.

"There are far more handsome bachelors closer to her age in town."

A casual flip of pink hair and a pursing of equally pink lips.

"I have a history that someone as innocent and kind as her should not have to deal with."

This time a perfectly pencilled eyebrow cocked up at him in disbelief.

"She is young and deserves someone who will definitely be able to keep up with her."

This time the doctor laughed out loud. "I'm so sorry, but keeping up with her will be the least of your problems if the stories I have heard about your youth are even slightly true."

Klaus flushed for a moment in embarrassment, more for Annie than for himself as Marian painted the perfumer his mental picture in excruciating detail.

"The answer is still no. I will not be pursuing anything with her," Klaus ground out firmly. These regular and repetitive conversations about the town's newest farmer extraordinaire were beginning to grate on his nerves – and his resolve.

"Well, that is one thing the two of you certainly have in common regarding your relationship – or depressing lack thereof," Marian huffed.

"You discuss this with her as well?" Klaus demanded, flushing again.

"Of course I do, honey, I'm in everyone's business about everything. You know that."

The truth in that statement was undeniable. While he wasn't one to spill anyone's secrets, Marian certainly did seem to know everything about everyone at all times. Perhaps that was a perk of being the town doctor. Perhaps that was just Marian's personality – it made you want to confide in him and keep that ridiculous pep afloat.

"Then she, too, does not wish to pursue anything?" the perfumer asked, doing his best to act as unhurt as possible as he twirled a vial of Rose Seduction across the table.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant you have in common," Marian laughed. "It's the excuses, honey. You're both so chock-full of them."


	17. Vengeance

17\. Vengeance

The butterflies he had managed to quell as he warned the young farmer away came back with a vengeance the moment she shut the door to his house.

Finding stability against the wall, Klaus leaned forward and covered his face as though hoping to keep the heat within his cheeks at bay.

What had he just almost done? And to a near total-stranger at that?

"Whew," With a shaky breath, he regained his composure ever so slightly.

Casting a glance out the window he could spy her just racing down the steps towards the lower platform of the town.

Raking a hand through his hair, Klaus sighed and smiled wryly.

"Still, that smile... that was a bit overwhelming, to be sure..."

Perhaps he had the predator and the prey in that situation completely confused.


	18. Love

18\. Love

Love for Klaus held many forms and displayed itself in many, many ways.

Filial love had never come easily to Klaus. He had grown up at odds with his parents on good days and completely rebellious to them on bad days. Train tickets and a packed suitcase were how he greeted his parents on his sixteenth birthday. An empty house and echoed memories were what greeted him when he returned twelve years later.

Physical love was something that Klaus was very familiar with and the long list of lovers – and clients, in some cases – that he left in his wake were his display of that. Physical love was sudden, instinctive, and driven in a way that makes it passionate but fleeting. His life in the city, discovering his skill with scents, and establishing his clientele base in the upper tiers of high society were all hallmarked by various physical conquests. At times he reflected on the memories of his late teens and early twenties fondly. More often than not, however, he regretted it as time wasted and lost.

Platonic love was something that settled slowly over you, like a warm blanket shaken out before being draped across a lap. Marian had taught him platonic love, opening the path to more loving friendships that Klaus had never thought would have developed for him in his self-inflicted isolation. He had travelled to avoid his trail of physical love and the oppressive guilt of missing out on the last five years of his parents' lives. Yet the flamboyant doctor whom he continually crossed paths with managed to bring colour back into the perfumer's dark world. Late night drinks and shared laughs paved the way for confessed regrets and suppressed fears over the many years. His old friend was the reason why many years later he had returned to face the life he left behind in Oak Tree Town in his youth. Later, he learned, he was the reason his old friend found freedom in Oak Tree Town.

Romantic love, true love, sneaks up on you. Love is blind, they say, because you never quite see it until it suddenly hurtles itself into you. One day you look at someone over coffee, enjoying how she devours the cakes you saved for her – which otherwise would have been immediately disposed of, gifts or not – and it dawns on you. You love her. You are not just vaguely interested in her. You do not just enjoy her company. She is not just another friend. You truly, madly, deeply love her and her grand plans for patty field conquests.

Fatherly love was something Klaus worried he would have trouble with, the way that filial love had been so difficult for him. Yet the moment those two horribly pink, scrunched up, and crying faces landed in his arms, it sparked itself in him faster than a match struck on the bottom of a boot and engulfed him entirely in its flame.


	19. Tears

19\. Tears

Annie had never associated tears with anything other than grief and sadness. She had laughed so hard that she nearly vomited, but never had she laughed so hard that tears sprang from her eyes.

Happiness and tears did not equate in her mind.

Yet with two words and the familiar pressure of loving lips, the corners of her eyes glistened with the happiest tears she would ever experience.


	20. My Inspiration

20\. My Inspiration

"Oh, Klaus, it smells absolutely wonderful in here," Iris exclaimed as she closed the front door against the brisk spring air.

The air swam with the perfumer's newest fragrance. It was sweet, light, and soothing. It managed to relax you without making you sleepy and energize you without making you stressed or too high-strung all at once.

"What have you called this one?" she asked as she rounded the corner into his work area.

Her question was met by the quiet of the house as Klaus sat blissfully unaware of her existence.

Leaning against the doorway, she observed her friend in the dull morning light. His feet were up on his desk – a sight she had never seen from the sometimes overly polite gentleman – as he twirled what looked like a sprig of chamomile between his fingers. A small smile lighted upon his lips as he gazed out into nothingness.

He was the very image of smitten.

Knocking on the frame sharply, Iris called the perfumer's attention to her presence and smiled brightly at his sheepish grin as he dropped his feet back to the ground.

"Iris, I'm sorry I did not notice you come in. I'll make some coffee," Klaus said, rising from the desk and gently placing the herb back onto his desk.

"New fragrance?" Iris asked as he passed her on his way to the kitchen.

"Yes, does it smell strongly? I may have made quite the abundance of it in my excitement over its creation."

"It smells lovely."

As they sat with their steaming cups of coffee, Iris smiled at her friend curiously.

"What were you thinking about before I roused you from your boyish dreams?" she teased lightly.

With what Iris would dare say was a slight blush, Klaus chuckled and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I suppose I was thinking about my inspiration."

"For the fragrance?"

He nodded in confirmation, the small blissful smile returning to his lips. She watched him drift off once again into whatever thoughts he was enjoying and did not have the heart to draw him out of it again. Her curiosity would just have to be satiated on another day over another coffee.


	21. Never Again

21\. Never Again

After their admittedly intimate encounter, Klaus swore he would never again allow himself to be alone with the young farmer. Whether the predator was she or he, it was putting too much faith in his honour to risk such an encounter again.

Yet the very next day, he found himself loitering outside of her farm, having walked unnecessarily far up the mountain to collect a specimen that admittedly grew right outside of the town's entrance by the bridge.

To be fair, he assured himself, he had no idea as to whether she was currently on her property or in the town nor whether she would be using this path any time soon or at all today.

"Klaus?" Annie asked, brightening more than he thought was possible. "What are you doing all the way up here?"

Klaus gestured to their surroundings with as gentlemanly of a smile as he could muster.

"With such resplendent natural beauty, there is no better place than here for a long walk."

He refused to dwell on whether he meant to refer to the wilderness around them or to the woman before him. Instead he chastised himself for sounding like such an ancient fool – his stiffness was only redeemed by the flourish of his words.

"It is very beautiful here. I have not had much time to explore yet, but I would love to take the time to simply stroll the paths here one day," Annie said, adjusting the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

"Would you care to join me sometime?"

The words fell from his lips before he could stop them.

It would seem that with Annie the word _never_ no longer held much weight to him.


	22. On the Line

22\. On the line

To say he had been toeing the line of appropriateness with her for the past year would be a massive understatement. The constant tug-of-war on his emotions regarding their age gap was relentless and more than once his heart got the best of him.

As he stood over her, one arm opening the door for her and one arm against the door frame, Klaus became very aware of just how firmly on the line he was standing right then, in that moment, and how terribly close his heart was to making another decision ahead of his mind.

Annie had come by earlier that evening to chat but he had been working at the time and regretfully declined her visit. He had not expected her to return later that evening as he finished up his tasks with a gift of Bouillabaisse soup for a shared dinner.

Perhaps it was the late hour or the thoughtful gift – as he likely would have simply rolled into bed too exhausted to fix himself a proper meal – but something in the air was different for what was usually be another harmless meeting.

She stood in the doorway, the picture of beauty in her new blue dress and her hair free from its usual kerchief. The darkness of the night behind her and the warm glow of the dining area within the house seemed to swallow them into a tiny blissful bubble.

"Are you sure you do not wish for me to walk you home?"

She nodded quietly but neither of them made any indication of moving.

"Be careful, then," Klaus said, fully intending to encourage her retreat out the door and yet he found himself slowly leaning further over her as her face tilted up expectantly. "This is a safe town, but nonetheless, there can be no darkness without danger close behind..."

How that darkness in the night beyond her made him want to pull her inside to stay the night in much warmer, sweeter conditions. The danger in that thought was not lost on him and yet there he stayed, firmly on the line of being appropriate with this young woman.

"I am much older than you, Annie..." he muttered, mostly as a reminder to himself but also as a warning to her as she bit her lower lip and tilted her face up ever closer.

"I know..."

Later, Klaus would reflect on that first chaste kiss stolen long before any formal commitment was declared and remind himself that in that moment that was about as close to not crossing the line as they likely could have gotten that evening.


	23. Failure

23\. Failure

Entering the Moo-Moo Festival for the first time just a few short weeks after beginning life on the farm was something that Annie had understood would be difficult.

The entire showing was nerve-wracking, although she herself spent very little time on the stage. Hanako soaked up all of the attention happily, however, and she hoped that alone was enough to make the experience worth it.

Regardless, ending up in last place during the results announcement felt so entirely disgraceful to the young farmer that she thought she may never shake the feeling of failure from her shoulders.

"Well done, Annie."

Looking up at the undue congratulations, Annie saw Klaus smiling at her earnestly. She had been hoping to sneak out of the Trade Depot before anyone noticed in order to wallow in her shame alone; however, the handsome perfumer had apparently noticed her escape.

"I came in last," the young farmer mumbled. Had he not been listening to the very loud, very public, very disheartening results?

"You may not have won, but do not let it get to you too much. Effort always pays off – if not now, then in the future. Just think of this as preparation for next time's victory."

Annie flushed, murmuring her thanks for his thoughts as she hurriedly continued along her escape route.

At least now, she thought, she was more preoccupied with her failure to keep the older man out of her head rather than the Festival results.


	24. Rebirth

24\. Rebirth

Balancing her single piece of luggage in her one hand and holding down her kerchief with the other, Annie felt her heart swell with the sweet breeze that swept past her as she stood on the train platform alone.

Oak Tree Town was just an hour down the road by wagon – which itself would arrive in just half an hour. Her future was so close and yet so far after her long and lonely journey out of the city.

This was the first time she had ventured so far from the city – from the orphanage, really – and the nervousness she felt was second only to the excited anticipation that tumbled in her belly.

Here, in this sweet country air, Annie could leave behind the disappointments of her life thus far and start anew.

Almost like a rebirth, she thought with a small smile. A new beginning.


End file.
